Lollipops Family Series at Cincinnati Music Hall, performed by the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, will feature The Snowman, Dec. 7 and Peter and the Wolf, March 28, 2020. Provided/Cincinnati Pops Orchestra

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The Cincinnati Pops Orchestra unveiled its 2019-20 season on Friday with offerings rangings from jazz to Broadway to soul.

Highlights of the new season include three performances in September with Renée Elise Goldsberry, winner of the best-featured actress Tony Award for her portrayal of Angelica Schuyler in the hit musical "Hamilton."

Legendary bandleader Paul Shaffer of "Late Show with David Letterman" fame makes his Pops debut, joining Russell for concerts celebrating Cincinnati’s musical legacy with tributes to King Records, Herzog Studios and more. More details of this concert will be announced later.

Other Pops debuts include soul singer and nine-time Grammy nominee Ledisi, Grammy-winning pianist and songwriter Bruce Hornsby, as well as jazz piano sensation Marcus Roberts with a new take on Gershwin’s iconic "Rhapsody in Blue."

“America’s Wonders in 3D” will combine dramatic 3D imagery from the National Parks set to live orchestral soundtrack for three performances in October. The Pops puts a new spin on the music of the 1980s in a one night only concert in November “Totally 80s” featuring "Kinky Boots" star Aaron C. Finley. The perennial “Holiday Pops” concerts return in December with five performances led by Russell and featuring the return of Broadway sensation Megan Hilty.

Music and clips from Kung Fu Panda will be one of the animated films featured in the Cincinnati Pops' final subscription concert of the 2019-20 season.(Photo: Provided/Cincinnati Pops)

The season closes with Russell conducting “Dreamworks Animation in Concert,” which features music and animation from such popular films as "Shrek," "How to Train Your Dragon," "Kung Fu Panda," "Madagascar," "The Prince of Egypt" and more.

“The new Pops season continues our journey and celebration of the American musical experience,” said conductor John Morris Russell in a Friday release. “Our orchestra will highlight music from film and stage, and collaborate with an array of remarkable performers whose unique styles and artistry weave together the unique story of American music making. We look forward to sharing it all with both ardent fans and our newest friends from throughout our community.

"The Pops is where all Cincinnati meets.”

Off subscription, the Pops performs "Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back" on Sept. 6-8 at Music Hall, and as previously announced, "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" on Jan. 3-5, 2020.

Crooner Tony Desare will return to sing and play piano at a Cincinnati Pops nonsubscription concert during the 2019-20 season.(Photo: Provided/Cincinnati Pops)

Pianist and crooner Tony Desare and singer Capathia Jenkins return to the Pops to pay homage to Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald on New Year’s Eve with returning guest conductor Damon Gupton.

The Lollipops Family Concert series features Russell conducting The Snowman on December 7 at Music Hall. Prokofiev’s popular "Peter and the Wolf: will be featured on the March 28, 2020, concert.

Russell and the Pops will also perform “Red, White and Boom” on July 4 at Riverbend Music Center with Rozzi’s Famous Fireworks. More details will be announced later.

Subscription and ticket information

Season subscriptions are available now, online or through the Music Hall box office at 513-381-3300. Subscribers save up to 20 percent off regular ticket prices and get priority seating and unlimited ticket exchanges, among other benefits.

Single tickets for the 2019-20 season will go on sale to the general public July 30. For most Pops concerts, single tickets start at $25 for adults and $20 for children. Pops Family Concerts, which include “America’s Wonders in 3D,” “Holiday Pops” and “Dreamworks Animation in Concert,” are $15 for children, courtesy of Graeters.

1. Winter Bonanza: What began as a get-together of good friends and big beers has morphed into a community celebration of all things MadTree. Events kick off at noon Saturday and run until 1 a.m. with plenty to see, do and drink in between at the brewery (3301 Madison Road, Oakley). Live music starts at 1 p.m. Dining options are courtesy of food trucks Beerded Pig, Empanadas Aqui, Red Sesame Korean BBQ and Sunny Side Brunch, washed down with a dizzying array of MadTree specialty beers too numerous to mention. And gang, it'll be your first chance to see and sample the newly redesigned Psychopathy, Lift and Shade cans.
It's not all about MadTree brews, though. They're sharing the love with around 20 guest beers from regional breweries like Yellow Springs Brewery, Jackie O's, Little Fish, Branch & Bone Artisan Ales and Warped Wing, as well as Cincinnati-area breweries both large and small.
Admission is free and all drink tickets are $6 each with various pour sizes depending on the beer, cider or cocktail. madtreebrewing.com. Enquirer file

2. Cincinnati Ballet: The Sleeping Beauty: Children and adults alike will delight in this beloved full-length fairytale classic. With gorgeous sets and lush costumes, dazzling dance and a spectacular score by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky, the three-act experience is guaranteed to transport audiences to a magical place where a beautiful princess is cursed to sleep for 100 years and is awakened by the kiss of her true love.
Fittingly, perhaps, the heartwarming, romantic show opens on Valentine's Day with a 7:30 p.m. performance. 8 p.m. Friday, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday and 1 and 6:30 p.m. Sunday. All performances take place at Music Hall (1241 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine). Seats runs $40-$99. cballet,org. Provided/Aaron M. Conway

3. Egypt: The Time of Pharaohs: When we hear the words "ancient Egyptian civilization," most of us can conjure up associated images. Pyramids, mummies and sarcophagi, hieroglyphs, pharaohs and, of course, the Great Sphinx, that mythical creature with the head of a man and body of a lion. The new exhibit opening Friday at the Cincinnati Museum Center showcases all these aspects of ancient Egyptian life, from the emergence of the civilization through the Ptolemaic and Roman eras. See more than 350 original artifacts dating back some 4,500 years, along with detailed models of once-lost cities and landscapes, and interactive multimedia spaces that help visitors better understand ancient Egyptians' economic, mythological and cultural world.
In conjunction with the exhibit is the opening of the Omnimax film "Mummies: Secrets of the Pharaohs," which follows researchers as they piece together the archaeological and genetic clues of Egyptian mummies.
Standard adult-priced tickets to the exhibit are $19.50 and $9 for the Omnimax experience, with discounts for seniors, children and members. The exhibit runs through Aug. 18. cincymuseum.org. Kareem Elgazzar/The Enquirer

4. Gun Chronicles in America: In association with a special edition of Time Magazine, artist JR addresses the gun debate in the United States through this traveling exhibit centered around a moving-image mural that combines his portraits of hundreds of individuals. The presentation is representative of all aspects of the debate, from gun collectors, hunters, law enforcement officials and lobbyists for the industry to the shooting victims and the emergency room teams who worked on those victims.
The presentation, hosted by the Mini Microcinema and 21c Museum Hotel, takes place at 7 p.m. Monday in the Main Gallery of 21c (609 Walnut St., Downtown). It is free and open to the public, and a discussion of the presentation follows. 21cmuseumhotels.com. Provided

5. Tom Segura: Cincinnatian Tom Segura is a big deal in the world of comedy. He's well known for his Netflix specials "Completely Normal" and "Mostly Stories," as well as his many stand-up appearances on Comedy Central. He and his comedian wife Christina Pazsitzky also co-host the popular podcast "Your Mom's House." Segura is returning to the Queen City for two shows at the Aronoff Center for the Performing Arts (650 Walnut St., Downtown) on Friday evening. Shows are at 7:30 and 10 p.m. Tickets range from $35-$75. cincinnatiarts.org. Special to the Democrat

Honorable Mention: Oscar-Nominated Shorts: This weekend is your only local opportunity to see all of the 2019 Oscar-nominated short documentaries on the big screen at the same time in the same place. Cincinnati World Cinema brings the Academy Award nominees to Memorial Hall Saturday and Sunday. There are two distinct programs, one at 4 p.m. and another at 7 p.m. each day. Sandwiches, snacks, tea and coffee will be available to purchase between programs, as well as a range of beer, wine and soft drinks.
Tickets are $16 for a single program, $25 for the combo package that includes both programs. Save a few bucks by buying in advance online or by phone at 859-957-3456. cincyworldcineima.org. Provided